by Jackie Pinkowitz Chair CCAL - Advancing Person-centered Living As November’s chill fills the air and autumn leaves begin to fall, our hearts and minds naturally turn to thoughts of Thanksgiving, a holiday that invokes coming together with kindness and caring towards one another. The Picker Institute describes their Always Events® as “… aspects of the patient (person) and family experience that should always occur when patients (individuals) interact with health care professionals and [...]

by Molly Fogel, LCSW Director of Educational and Social Services, Alzheimer’s Foundation of America More than 5 million individuals in the U.S. are living with dementia. Family members and friends provide an estimated 17.4 billion hours of unpaid care. The average annual cost of care (direct and informal – informal refers to care provided by family and friends) for people aged 70+ in the U.S. in 2010 was between $157-$210 billion.[1] Figures, such as [...]

by Christopher D. Perna CEO, The Eden Alternative, Inc. Let’s start by closing your eyes and saying to yourself the words “I am a hero” either silently or out loud. Don’t believe it? Say it again...”I am a hero.” Hopefully, you’ve done what I’ve asked and now I’ll tell you why. I heard Dr. Bill Thomas recently define a hero as a person who chooses to make changes and do things differently. He emphasized that [...]